Concequences of Falling
by Goldenbrook15
Summary: She felt the rope slip from her fingers, felt her last breath leave her . . . she felt the snow as it crushed her body and the darkness encompass her forever. Fa Ping died a hero. (Alternate ending to Consiquences.)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mulan.**

 **Falling**

 _Summary_

 _She felt the rope slip from her fingers, felt her last breath leave her . . . she felt the snow as it crushed her body and the darkness encompass her forever. Fa Ping died a hero. Alternate ending to Consiquences._

 **This is the much awaited alternate story to Consequences! I haven't had much time**

 **lately to write, but this came to my mind and I had to write it. Hope you all like it.**

 **Chapter 1**

 _Snowfall_

Shouting. Fear. Rage.

It surrounded her, suffocated her, until she could no longer stand it and shut everything away, forcing her rising panic down.

Maybe she was never meant to be a soldier.

The Huns poured down the snow crested hills by the dozens, seeming to block out the white landscape with their dark furs and terrifyingly huge mounts. There didn't seem to be an end to them.

Next to the Huns, their small resistance was nothing.

China would fall.

Ping felt her breath still, her eyes widening in realization. Everything that she had worked for, everything that she had done to protect her father and later to gain approval from her fellow soldiers . . . it was all going to be for nothing if they didn't do something.

It was that thought that kicked her brain back in gear and she glanced around at all of her huddled companions, distantly heard the blasting of cannons, and tried to _think_.

 _I need something they haven't planned for. Something that they wouldn't expect . . ._

Her sword reflected the sun for a second as she shifted, bringing her eyes back toward it and its reflection . . . and then she knew.

A mountain, heavy with snow, hovered just beyond the Hun army. All it would take was a single blast to set it tumbling. That much snow would crush the Hun's before they could escape and China's own soldiers could shelter against the rocks near the cliffs.

"Aim the last cannon at Shan-Yu!" Shang yelled from next to her, determination in his voice. This was their last chance.

Before Ping could consider the consequences of her actions, before she could think through what she was about to do, she lunged at the shooter and tore the cannon from his grasp. Within seconds she was plowing her way forward through the knee deep snow _toward_ the Hun army.

This had better work.

She fell to her knees and dug the cannon into the snow, angling it just right for what she planned, and then reached for the spark stones. She fumbled for a second and then cursed as the rocks dropped from her numb hands at the attack of a hawk and fell into the deep snow.

If Mushu hadn't appeared at that moment, she knew that everything would have been for naught.

"What are you – Ack!" Mushu squawked as she grabbed him by his tail and middle then proceeded to yank him straight, his mouth near the fuse. She was thankful that a spark managed to leave him in his surprise and catch fire to the firing string. Seconds later the cannon fired and Ping rolled back out of the way of the trampling hooves of Shan-Yu's horse as it neighed in confusion and reared.

For the first time since placing the cannon in the snow Ping looked up and felt ice slide down her throat. Shan-Yu was tall and bulky, dressed in thick furs that covered everything but his face. His eyes followed the path of the cannon for a few seconds in confusion and then widened as it hit the mountain.

Being from the north he knew the dangers of the swiftly tumbling snow that was now thundering its way down the slopes of the mountain, picking up speed, size, and momentum as it went.

He turned to her, rage echoing though his voice as he razed his sword and brought it down. It was all too fast for her to react. One moment she had been staring up at him in fear and the next pain burned though her side as he galloped past, desperately trying to outrun the raging snow.

Ping held back a sob and stumbled to her feet, knowing that she had to get back to the rocks at the bottom of the hill. It was the only safe place in the coming snow. She stumbled forward, gritted her teeth, and then took off in a run.

Her mind was blank, only the thoughts of survival running through her as she plowed her way through the snow, snagging her stunned captain as she did so. Distantly she wondered why he had come all the way out there with her, but decided not to ponder it at the moment.

Though they were fast, the snow was faster. It had gained speed as it came down the hill and Mulan knew that they would never outrun it, no matter how fast they were going. Her horse galloped to her side and she swung on, ignoring the pain, before turning to offer her hand to Shang.

He lunged for her hand, but the snow caught up to him first. Mulan and her horse were able to stay above the snow miraculously, but she knew that their luck would not last long. The cliff was fast approaching and she could see the snow beginning to fall from its edge like water in a waterfall. Her eyes searched for Shang, hoping beyond hope that she could save him.

Her brown eyes finally latched on to his unconscious form resurfacing close to them and she dragged him onto her horse's back while Mushu - when had he gotten here? - scrambled onto her shoulder. She urged her horse to fight against the current of the snow, even though she knew that it was a loosing battle.

She closed her eyes for a moment when the inevitable feeling of tipping over the edge came and her horse screamed in fright. Her breath picked up even as her mind calmed.

She wasn't going to make it out of this.

A glint in the sky caught her attention and she turned just in time to see an arrow bury itself in the snow next to her. A small, sad smile slipped over her features as she grabbed it just as she felt gravity begin to take them down.

Mulan glanced between the arrow, the figures on the other end of the rope, and the unconscious body in her lap, and knew that the weight would be too much for one man to pull up. That and, even if they both made it back up, she still had her wound which needed medical attention. When it was discovered that she was actually a women, she would be killed and considered a traitor by everyone she had come to know.

It was better to die a friend then to die a traitor. It took her less then a moment to make her decision.

Mulan wrapped the rope around Shang's form and shot the arrow back up to the person or people who had sent it. Within seconds Shang was dragged from her grasp as she continued her plunge below.

She felt the rope slip from her fingers, felt her last breath leave her . . . she felt the snow as it crushed her body and the darkness encompassed her forever.

 _"Ancestors, if you are watching, let my sacrifice not be in vain."_

0~o~0

Shang groaned and rubbed his head as he got up, looking around at his soldiers for the one he was searching for, the one who had saved his life, "Where is Ping?" he asked when he could not find him, but all he got in response were devastated faces, and his heart sank.

"Where is he?!" Shang demanded, this time an order.

The three soldiers that had been Ping's closest friends looked down and shifted their feet before Yao replied, a new level of devastation in his voice that Shang had never heard before, "You both went over the edge . . . Ping didn't come back up."

In a quiet voice Po added, "He sacrificed himself so that you could live, so that you could continue to lead us."

No.

 _No._

Not Ping. Not determined, unwavering, undaunted Ping who never once showed fear in the face of danger. It couldn't be possible.

 _He can't be dead._

Shang scrambled to the edge, several arms grasping his own, as if afraid that he would through himself off after Ping. He turned his gaze down, but it was impossible to see through the drifting snow to the bottom.

"Ping!" he yelled, desperately. Ping had not only been an inspiration to the troops, he had also been an inspiration to Shang. He had showed the captain that he could never give up. He had been something like a friend to Shang, someone who even if he could not understand, he could show his support to.

"Ping!" his voice cracked and he waited for a moment, hoping beyond hope that he would hear the distant, slightly high pitched voice of Ping, but he was answered only with silence and the echo of his own voice coming back to him.

Ping was gone.

0~o~0

The honored heroes marched up to the palace where the Emperor was waiting for them. Despite the cheers of the people all around them, they could feel nothing but sadness. They had lost one of their most valued members, the one who truly deserved the title Hero of China. Ping was the one who had wiped out the entire Hun army in one blow, and it was Ping who should have been here, with them.

But he was not here, and the remaining soldiers felt helpless at their inability to save him. Their march to the Emperor was not one of honor in their eyes, it was one of failure, for they had failed the one that truly deserved their respect. The procession paused before the Emperor and Shang bowed before their ruler, holding out the wavy sword.

"May I present the sword of Shan-Yu," he said, his voice projecting over the crowd.

The Emperor reached for it, but before he could lift it from Shang's hands a darkly colored hawk swooped down and plucked the blade from his hands. Shang gasped and stumbled back, watching as the Hawk flew up to the roof and dropped the sword into the waiting hands of Shan-Yu himself who sat perched upon one of the palace's roofs.

The Hun grinned darkly and stood up, his shadowed form highlighted against the sky.

Shang's breath hitched.

 _It's not over yet._

0~o~0

 **I know it's been a long time but a lot of people wanted this and, as I don't have all that many good ideas for a continuation of Consequences at the moment, I decided that I would give it a shot.**

 **As most of you have probably already noticed, this first chapter is very similar to Consequences. I did that for a reason. Consequences could have originally gone two ways. Ping could have died and this story would have been created . . . or she lived, and the other one would have been put up. Obviously, I went with her living and as such this is going to be the opposite.**

 **I hope you all like the up and coming chapters. Look forward to this and a possible continuation of the Consequences storyline!**

 **(Updated: 8/_/2016)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mulan.**

 **Falling**

Chapter 2

Victory

Shan-Yu came to China for one thing and one thing only.

He came to take it.

China was once _their_ land. It had been _theirs_ to claim and hunt, to build and raise their young on. _They_ had once been considered part of that great empire . . . but not anymore.

Forced out of their homeland and their legacy, his people had been driven North into the cold, harsh mountains and grasslands that dominated the northern border. This harsh land had nearly killed them. Little food or water and cold conditions killed off their young faster than the wild predators that roamed the land, unafraid to attack a small band of people for easy prey.

His son had been among those that had died in such an attack.

Those that survived were stronger. They became like the harsh land they grew up in, cold, desperate, and _dangerous._ Once, they had been Chinese; now they were Huns.

And China would _pay_ for what they had done.

Nearly ten thousand strong, they had slipped over the great wall meant to keep them out and into the land forbidden them for generations. Not even the great army sent to defeat them stood a chance. They had been tested, tried, and given strength.

They _wouldn't_ fall.

Which is why the small band of soldiers, barely more than boys fresh out of training, had taken him by surprise.

Or rather, _one_ boy.

Small, skinny, and baby faced, the soldier had been like all of the others, he'd seen it when he'd looked in his eyes. There was fear, yes, but there was also determination. Determination to protect his country, at the cost of his own life.

In that soldier boy from China, Shan-Yu saw himself.

Unexpected, daring, _dangerous._ The boy had done what no other soldier would have done in his place. He shot the mountain.

One cannon could take out maybe ten tightly clustered men . . . one avalanche could take out ten thousand. It was ingenious, uncounted for, and insane. It worked.

In that soldier, Shan-Yu saw himself, and that is why the boy had had to die.

His own army could have benefited from a man such as this soldier, but one among his enemies was too dangerous to let live.

If the wound that San-Yu had given him hadn't killed him, then his own avalanche did, of that he was sure.

There was one thing that the surviving Huns could thank the boy for, however. They would never have been able to get so close to the Emperor in such large numbers. What little remained of his army was a pitiful few, but they were strong, they would survive.

They would have their victory.

Below him, his hawk swooped and snatched the gleaming sword from the young Captain's hands just as he was about to hand it to the Emperor. The shock on the other's face as he stood up to catch his own weapon made him grin.

Let the fight begin.

Before anyone in the crowed, or even the soldiers, could react the large parade dragon ripped open to reveal his men. Screams echoed through the gathering as people, young and old, scrambled away in panic. Ignoring them, the Huns dashed up the stares, shoved the soldiers aside, grabbed the Emperor, and slipped inside the palace with the doors closing firmly behind them.

Shan-Yu felt his grin widen. The palace had been fortified to withstand siege from an outside force lager than the one China currently had. Their pitiful resistance was pitiful.

By the time they broke through the Emperor would be dead and China would be theirs for the taking.

0~o~0

Despair warred with desperation as Shang and the soldier's pounded the heavy statue into the closed doors of the palace. Deep in his mind, however, he knew that this would never work. His father had been the General of China, he knew the palace inside and out and he knew that there was no way there were going to be able to get through those doors in time to save the Emperor.

Ping's sacrifice . . . would be in vane.

He closed his eyes even as he gave all he had into another swing. A small, crystal tear slipped unseen down his cheek.

 _I'm sorry, Ping. I failed you._

Ping was a hero. He had saved all of them at the cost of his own life. He had wiped out almost the entire Hun army with one cannon . . . he had been Shang's best student, even if it had taken a while to get there.

At first, Shang had been sure that he had been sent a kid, not worthy of training. He had given the other a chance, and he had failed it. Shang had been ready to send Ping home. There would have been no small disgrace in being sent back, but he had been sure it was for the best at the time.

And then Ping had proved him wrong.

It was like he had changed overnight; as if confidence and determination that had been missing the entire time had suddenly reared its head for the first time.

For the first time, Shang had seen something that gave him hope.

Ping's grinning face flashed before his eyes, looking down at him from the top of the wooden pole he'd placed in the center of camp, weights tied to his thin arms and an arrow shot at the base of Shang's ten.

That day, they had all changed. They had all become _more_ than normal soldiers, they were brothers in arms.

. . . and now he was _failing_ Ping. If Ping was here, he'd know what to do. He would have thought outside the box and be inside the palace by now. If they were the _soldiers_ , Ping had been their strategist.

What _would_ Ping have done?

Opening his eyes Shang looked around with a fresh mind, and narrowed in on the poles that led to the second floor of the palace, and he was again reminded on Ping's miraculous change and subsequent climb for the arrow.

There was no way in on the ground floor.

But the second floor was unfortified, and that would be were the Emperor was.

He dropped the statue and his men followed his example.

"There's another way in."

They would do this. They would succeed.

 _For Ping._

0~o~0

Roku was a simple palace servant, but that didn't mean he was defenseless. When the fur clad bulks of flesh had broken through into the Palace he did the first logical thing that any servant would do.

He hid in a broom closet.

The Palace was large for those who didn't know it, but Roku had worked there for several years. He knew a thing or to that most didn't.

One of those things been that all the doors were made of sterner stuff than wood . . . and were good for knocking people out.

The first lone Hun who was sent to patrol this particular hall was met with a sudden door to the face and instant darkness.

Above his unconscious form Roku peeked out of his hiding place, "Oops. I think I might have hit him too hard," he paused and then shrugged, "Oh well."

Now, too find another broom closet. This one had blood on it.

0~o~0

Climbing the side of the palace turned out to be easy, and Shang pushed down a frown at the now obvious flaw in the defense. He could think about that later.

He and the men moved swiftly through the halls, encountering trouble only once when they ran into a group of Huns guarding the door out to the balcony that Shan-Yu held the Emperor captive. Thankfully, though, they were able to take them down quickly as it seemed one of their members was missing somewhere and they were in an argument of who was going to look for him.

Shang was the first one to make it through the doors, just in time to stop Shan-Yu's downward swing toward the Emperor. The elder's blade skimmed his shoulder as he deflected it and he winced but didn't move from his place.

The Hun scowled. "Get out of my way!"

In response Shang lunged, only to be knocked to the side and barely able to avoid the razor sharp edge of the wavy short sword as he rolled. His arm, which he had landed on, complained loudly and he forced himself to his feet again.

 _This is for you Ping._

They fought viciously, Shan-Yu to get to the Emperor and Shang in memory of his best soldier and friend. Neither was willing to give in. In the background Poe broke through the fighting and snatched up the Emperor, taking the elder back the way that they had come to find a more defensible position.

Shan-Yu only seemed to fight harder. Again Shang was knocked aside and pushed up onto a pillar, sword inches from his neck and barely held back by his own small dagger.

For a second everything seemed to freeze as they looked into each other's eyes, hatred and determination shining through. The Hun seemed to realize something and his scowl deepened.

"You are like the Soldier in the Mountains."

 _Ping_.

With a strength he didn't know he had Shang pushed the Hun back suddenly and spun away, the cut on his arm throbbing and his bruises aching. He barely seemed to have escaped before he was once again fighting, retreating back into the palace as the Hun's superior strength showed itself. The other was fighting with more viciousness than before.

Shang knew he wouldn't survive.

 _Father, give me strength._

A pillar was knocked down and Shang ran along its support as it hung over the massive crowd below. Shan-Yu followed even as he lunged for the rooftop. If he had to make a final stand, he would do it on his own terms. Once on semi stable grounds Shang turned once again to face Shan-Yu who didn't seem phased at all at the change of locations.

His dagger, the only weapon that he had left, was raised defensively in front of him even as he tried to calm his raging heart. He would fall today, just like Ping.

Or so that's what he thought.

An unlucky misstep as Shang backed away sent him sliding down one side unexpectedly just as Shan-Yu lunged at him. Frantically he flung his dagger out to catch himself and only ended up embedding it in his opponent's cloak, pinning him in place.

Shang could never really recall what happened next, it was all too fast. He remembered letting go of his dagger and sliding down to where he could catch himself and Shan-Yu suddenly vanishing in a ball of fire and smoke as he was shot toward the firework stand on the opposite roof.

For years afterward Shang swore that he'd heard someone shout, _"That one's for Mulan, sucker!"_ as the Hun was blown away.

All he knew was that he was still alive. China was safe. They were all safe.

And Ping was dead.

 **0~o~0**

 **The End**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Just kidding! I've got a** ** _much_** **better ending planned out for this story than the one that you just read. Look forward to at least one more chapter! Here's a sneak peak at what might be coming.**

0~o~0

Biting his lip nervously as he stepped into the busy camp he couldn't help but feel inadequate.

His _sister_ had trained and worked here, hiding her secret for _months_ and later becoming one of the greatest hero's of all China. He, a scrawny, baby-faced boy was _nothing_ compared to her, but he knew that he had to try.

He was Fa Li, son of Fa Zhao and younger brother of Fa 'Ping'.

He was just beginning his new life. The life of a soldier.

Taking a deep breath, Li puffed out his chest to make himself look bigger and marched into camp, unknowingly matching the actions of another soldier from many years ago.

Looking up from his post Li Shang did a double take as what looked like Ping's duplicate marched through camp.

 _What in the world . . . ?_

0~o~0

 **Anyway, hope you all stick around for the next chapter! Review?**

 **(Updated: 8/9/2016)**


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